## Curaçao and Sint Maarten’s award-winning banknotes celebrate the vibrancy of the Caribbean

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**Canonical URL:** [Curaçao and Sint Maarten’s award-winning banknotes celebrate the vibrancy of the Caribbean](https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2026/09/cn.pdf)

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### Launch and public reception
- Launched last year, and shared with Sint Maarten, an island about 560 miles to the northeast.
- The banknote series went into circulation in March 2025, following a public awareness campaign for the two Caribbean nations, which are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
- The public took an immediate liking to the new banknotes, lining up at ATMs and even sharing songs inspired by the new currency on social media.
- The Caribbean guilder replaces the Netherlands Antillean guilder, the two countries’ long-standing shared currency.
- The Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (CBCS) undertook the rare experience of launching an entirely new currency—a process described as more involved than even years-long minor redesigns.

### Design, themes, and denominations
- Depicts a “world under the sea” theme on the front and local landmarks on the back.
- Celebrates marine species native to both countries: gray angelfish, giant tun snail shell, spotted eagle ray, green sea turtle, stoplight parrotfish, and longsnout seahorse.
- A pair of longsnout seahorses appear on the front of the new 200 Caribbean guilder note.
- The reverse of the 200 Caribbean guilder bill shows Curaçao’s Queen Emma Bridge in historic Willemstad.
- Eleanore Reynaert (CBCS): “We saw it as a metaphor. Fish swim freely, they see no borders, and that was something that we thought stood for the unity between the countries and of being together in a monetary union.”

### Awards and recognition
- The colorful new banknote series received numerous awards, including Banknote of the Year from the International Bank Note Society.

### Security and production features
- Security features are described as “a major upgrade” from the previous banknotes.
- Features include a 3D moving stripe, security threads, high-relief printing, transparent features, and iridescent ink.
- Tod Niedeck (Crane Currency): noted Crane’s work with the CBCS on the banknotes’ design.
- Reynaert: “It has to be nice, it has to be beautiful, but most importantly, it has to be secure.”

*Finance & Development, “Currency Notes” chapter (Curaçao and Sint Maarten banknotes).*

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2026/09/cn.pdf_